Improvement in water-closets for vessels



D'. H. RICE & C. H. SARGENT.

WATER-CLOSETS FOR-VE-SSELS Patented Sept. 5,1876.

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N-FEERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPMER. wAsHNGTDN. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

DVID HALL RIOE, OF LOWELL, AND CHARLES H. SARGENT, OF NEWBUBY- FORT,MASSAOHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-CLOSETS FOR VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181 ,984, datedSeptember 5, 1876; application filed I May 22, 1876.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that we, DAvrD HALL Rron, of Lowell,in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, and GHARLEs H. SARGENT,

water-closets for vessels, in which, on account of their size orconstrnction, it is necessary or convenient to have the closet with itsoutletpipe substantially below the surface of the water. In order thatthe closet may be placed below the surface of the water, it is necessaryto have such an arrangement of valves as will readily allow thesubstance to be forced out of the closet, and at the same time preventany water from rushing up through, except at the will of the user, tocleanse the closet, and even when the closet is partly above the waterduring the rolling and pitching of the vessel-in a storm, to render thecloset available, when it is impossible and unsafe to use the ordinarycloset, on account of the rush of water in the pipes. Our invention isintended to overcome these difficulties and provide a positive-actingand safe closet.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of our improved closet.

A is the bowl, which is screwed down upon the top of the box B. In thebox B is the valve H, which fits water-tight upon the valveseat a, andcloses the passage from the bowl to the box. This valve is operatedbythe arm F, which is attached to the shaft b, one end 'of which passesthrough the box B; and to this projecting end is attached the lever E.This lever E is held up at the highest point of its stroke by thespringlatch n, which, when latched upon the lever, serves to bring thepressure of the spring eupon the valve H constantly, and keeps the valveclosed water-tight. Instead of the spring e, the arin F or lever E maybe made sufficiently elastic to keep the valve Holosed. tight. In orderto make the hole for the shaft bin the box B water-tight, we place acommon stuffing-box around the shaft Where it passes through the box.The valve H is attached to the valve-stem d, which Works freely throughan opening in the arm F. Around the valve-stern d, and between the valveand arm, is a coilspring, e, the operation of which will be describedhereafter. K is a plunger, capable of vertical motion, having acup-shaped packing, and fitting, substantially, water-tight into thepipe O, directly below the bowl. This plunger has a valve, K', closingupon the valve-seata', and opening upward, while the valve-stern g worksfreely in the socket h, attached to the plunger. To this valve-stem wepivot one end of the link G,

while the other end is pivoted to the arm F,

the valve K' thus having a direct positive motion. The link G-isbifurcated at the lower end, one part of which is attached to the valvei K' on each side, and the two parts swing freely each side of the yokeh', and are united to the opposite sides of the valve-stem g by thepivot passing through it. At the lower end of the pipe 0 is a valve, M,opening downi in the pipe G against it when forced downward upon the topof'the valve M, and forcing it through the latter.

The length of the pipe O is such that the plunger will strike againstthe valve-stem at the bottom of its stroke, and the valve-stern gf maybe prolonged downward as far as may be necessary to insure its strikingthe valve stem m, which is believed to be new with us; or the valve-stemm may be so placed as to be entirely below the stroke of the plungerKand stern gt A tank may be placed above the closet, and

`water admitted through the pipe P, if desired. As this closet is belowthe surface of the water, either wholly or so as to bring the water;

line some inches above the bottom of the bowl, a pipe, N,is carriedthrough the side of the vessel, below the water-line, to admit 'thewater'from the outside into the box B, and, as desired, through thevalve H, into the bowl, to thoroughly cleanse the latter.

The drawing represents the different parts in the position when readyfor use.

The lever E is pressed down, carrying the arm ,F and link Gr With it.When the arm F begins its downward movement, the spring e on thevalve-stem d presses from the arm against the valve H, andkeeps'itclosed till the arm strikes the shoulder f, and at the same timethe movement of the link G closes the valve K'. By this action of thespring e and movement of the link G, the valve H is not opened till thevalve K' is closed, and as soon as the valve His opened the plunger Kbegins its downward stroke. The plunger, being forced down, presses onthe Water in the pipe C, and overcoming the pressure of the seawateroutside, and the tension of the spring 70, forces it out, through thevalve M, through the lower end of the pipe O, which passes through theside of the vessel into the sea. The valve X in the pipe N has been leftopen sufficiently for fresh water 'to rush into the box B, andhelpcleanse the latter, and prepare its contents-to better pass the valves.On raising V the lever E and plun ger K, the valve M closes,

and the Vacuum below the plunger causes the contents of the box B and`bowl A to pass downward, and be forced out of ,the side as the movementof the lever E is continued.

The pipe N is allowed to supply clean water to the closet until it isthoroughly cleansed, and until the bowl A is filled to the depth of iabout two or three inches, when the lever E is latched up by the latchn, the valve X is closed, and the closet left ready for use.

After the closet is used, the valve X should always be opened before thelever E is operated, as the jet of pure water from the pipe N preventsclogging of the valves, and insures the perfect cleansing of the closet.

' Although we have spoken of a water-tank connected to the pipe P, it isnot necessary, as the pipe N will be found always sufficient to keep the'closet clean, and free from disagreeable odors.- The amount of spacethus saved by dispensing with a water-tani( in the Vessel for thecloset, as well as the small space required for the latter, renders theuse of this closet possible in places where others cannot be used.-

The arrangement of the vertical pipe G below the bowl A insures thecompact structure of 'the closet, and, in connection with the valve M,this vertical pipe causes this valve to pump outthe closet entirely dryby the pitch of the vessel when in a sea, and keep' it so, no matter howfar below the Water-line the top of the bowlA may be, until thevalve Xis opened, as described. w l v It should be nderstood that the pipe Cdischarges through the side of the vessel' as nearly directly downwardand outward as possible.

By' the pecnliar construetion of the valve H, and its connection withthe 'armF by its stern` d and the spring e, the valve H closes beforethe plun ger K has completed its upward stroke, and thus as-sists toforce the contents of the box B through the plunger-valve K'.

When the vessel is at sea, the valve X 'may be left open, if desired,and the pitch of 'the i vessel will then cause a constant currentofclean water to flow inward through the pipe N, and outward through thevalve M and pipe C, thevalve H meanwhile being closed watertight. v

A constant use of this closet upon a yacht of seven and three-fourthstons burthen has demonstrated that it operates as above described forsome time, and established its durability and utility in that class ofvessels.

What we claim as new and of our invention 1. The valve H, combined withthe arm F by the stem d and spring e, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the 'lever E, latch n, arm F, and valve H,substantially as described.

3. The combination of the arm F and plunger K, provided` with the valveK', substantially as described. a I

4. The combination, with the plunger K, of thevalve K', operatedpositively by the link G, which drives the ,plunger, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination of the valve H, made to close before the upwardstroke ofthe plunger is completed, with. the latter, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination of the bowl A, the pluni ger K, provided *with the.valve K', and the valve M, substantially as described. i

7. The combination, with the closet discharge-pipe 0, dischargingdirectly from the pan outboard below the water-line', of the clean-waterpipe N, carried inboard below the water-line, and emptying into the pipeO, be tween the pan and its discharge end, substantially as described.

8. In combination'with the bowl A and dis-v charge-pipe C, the enlargedconnecting box or reservoir B, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the discharge-pipe' C, leading outboard belowthe water-line, of

the valve M, openingdownward and outward in such position that the' riseand pitch of the vessel will operate it automatically, substam tially asdescribed.

10. The combination of the valve H, plun-` ger K, and valve M,substantially as de-.

scribed.

. 11. The combination of the valve H *and valve M with the clean-waterpipe N, discharging into the conduit between saidvalves, substantiallyas described.

D. HALL RIOE.

Witnesses CHARLES E. PRATT, ALFRED K. GARLAND.

-GHA S. H. sAaG NT; l;

